Sanchi, a tranquil hill town is famous for its numerous caves and stupas. It has one of India’s best preserved and most extensive
Buddhist sites. Of these
monuments the most famous was Sanchi Stupa 1 built by great Mauryan Emperor
Ashoka, the then
governor of Ujjain, whose wife Devi was a daughter of a merchant of the nearby Vidisha.
Sanchi continued to be a great Buddhist establishment till 14th century after which it was deserted and half forgotten. It was only in 1818, when the site was rediscovered by General Taylor of the Bengal Cavalry. Between 1912 and 1919 the site was extensively restored by the archeological survey of India under the guidance of Sir John Marshall.
Sanchi was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1989. Most of the buildings in Sanchi are within an enclosure at the top of the 91-m hill dominated by the Great Stupa. It is believed to be the oldest stone structure in India. With a height of 16.4 m and diameter 36.5 m, the stupa stands in eternal majesty having a massive hemispherical dome.
One of the worth visiting sites in Sanchi is the Archeological Museum that includes some star exhibits like lion capital of the Ashokan Pillar, metal objects used by the Buddhist monks, statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas.
About 70 km from Sanchi is Udayapur, a place famous for its 11th -century Nilakantheswar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple’s architecture has great resemblance with the temples of Khajuraho. The symmetry of this graceful shikhara has been beautifully carved. There is also a broken image of a curious figure that seems to hang in the space.
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Sanchi PACKAGE of MANORA TRAVELS
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K.M./ DAYS :
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150
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TIME(Hrs.) :
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8 |
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Packages RATE :
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1400/-
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